This Superbowl week has seen Richard Sherman’s media exposure reach stratospheric levels. His smack talking interview, along with his less than gentlemanly gestures to 49ers players, after the defeat of San Francisco two weeks ago, coupled with his eloquent ability to communicate with assembled media (when off the field) has ensured he is top of every sports journalist’s list for a sound-bite. Sherman’s words and actions are making the headlines and writing the newspaper columns this week, but rest assured, Peyton Manning will be the only headliner come Monday morning.
The Denver Broncos have put together the most magnificent season on offense ever seen in the NFL. After flattering to deceive last year, the team has filled the gaps of a year ago. Led by General Manager, and Broncos legend, John Elway, and Coach John Fox, Denver have the perfect mix of offensive guile and defensive graft to win the game. The Broncos have obliterated almost every team they have faced. Two of their three regular season losses were atoned for in the playoffs, as they beat the Chargers and Patriots on their way to Superbowl XLVIII. From week one, when they defeated the defending champs the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore 49-27 the barometer was set.
To wax-lyrical about Manning’s past achievements, his apparent destiny to seal his position as the greatest player to ever play QB, or even his perceived weaknesses when the mercury drops would be to do this Broncos team a grand disservice. Justifiably Manning is the centre-point of the Broncos, but the accumulated talent around him is what will win the game come Sunday night.
The Broncos offense has developed a potency never seen before in the NFL. To have four receiving players each amass ten touchdowns or more reveals their singular talent just as much as Manning’s. They have to run the route, beat the defensive backs, catch the ball, and take the contact. Seattle’s to-date all-conquering secondary has not yet been tested by an offense of such calibre.
Wes Welker has established himself as one of the game’s premier receivers.
That is not to say that Seattle’s ‘Legion of Boom’ won’t disrupt the Broncos offensive rhythm. With thirty interceptions for the regular and post season combined, the Seahawks are destined to pick off a Peyton Manning ‘duck’ at some stage. However the connection Manning has with his four main options, Damaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas, Eric Decker, and Wes Welker, along with the strength of the offensive line (Manning has been sacked a league low 20 times during the entire season to date) provides more than enough evidence that Seattle’s defense will be stretched further than it has been over the past two seasons.
On defense, Denver are the weaker of the two teams; this cannot be denied. However, the Broncos defence came up with 41 sacks throughout the year, on par with Seattle’s 44. If Denver can get their pass rush going on Sunday, they can put serious pressure on Russell Wilson, who has had to run for his life more than he would have liked this season. Having already been sacked 44 times this season, Wilson should not get away unscathed. By disrupting quality ball to the Seahawks wide-outs through pounding up the gut to chase down Wilson, Denver can negate much of the aerial threat. Admittedly the Denver secondary is not one of the team’s strengths, but neither do Seattle have a go-to receiver in times of need. The Seahawks have no stand-out receivers. Knowshon Moreno, the Broncos running back, even has more receiving yards than all but two of Seattle’s wide-outs
The Seahawks most substantial attacking threat comes in the form of running back Marshawn Lynch. If Denver are to triumph, they will have to limit his opportunities to stretch his legs. Lynch is a game-changer in the purest sense. Witnessing him running downfield to make a significant yardage gain will be enough to galvanize both his Seahawks team-mates, and the twelfth man. This is exactly what Denver will seek to avoid.
The Broncos have conceded on average just over 100 rushing yards per game throughout the regular season, and kept some of the game’s most fearsome runners well below that. Their defence has the capabilities required to allow their offense win the game.
The running game is another oft-forgotten strength this team possesses. Interchanging between Knowshon Moreno, Ronnie Hillman, and rookie Montee Ball has allowed the Broncos to vary their running attack. This running trio has kept par with Marshawn Lynch’s productivity all season, and the fresher legs throughout the game will be a further asset.
To suggest that Denver deserve to win, as they are the ‘Team of Destiny’, due to Manning’s super-human regular season efforts, would be to miss the point entirely. They do not deserve to win any more than Seattle. The reason they will win is because of their superior all-round ability as a team. Seattle have garnered an extensive amount of press, due in part to Sherman, and the chip on their collective shoulder. This has somewhat deflected attention away from Denver as a result. Come Sunday, Denver will put this right, and Peyton will gallop by horseback into the sunset of victory for the second time in his career.
